The American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs now calls on mothers to breast-feed for up to 12 months, and to make up formula with low-fluoride bottled water.

I believe that after nearly 70 years, the Americans are realising mass water-fluoridation was a grievous error, and are now seriously concerned at the prevalence of irreversible fluorosis in children’s teeth, and other health problems.

It seems that fluorine is accessing the population uncontrollably, via routes other than water, with infants at the highest risk. Fluorosis affects poorer children to a greater extent (thus no equality of outcome), and certain communities more than others. We need to educate, not fluoridate. Iceland’s experience validates this mantra, with decay – scores in 12 year-olds dropping from a shocking 6.6 in 1986 to 1.5 in 1996 – a fall of 77 percent, without fluoridation.

Studies show that the biggest fall in tooth decay is in non-fluoridated Scandinavia.

The chemical used in water fluoridation is fluorosilicic acid.

Top paediatrician, Philip J Landrigan, and Prof Philippe Grandjean at Harvard School of Public Health, reported in The Lancet journal that they’ve classified fluoride as a “developmental neurotoxin” (nerve poison) which can harm children’s IQ.

Scotland has greatly cut tooth decay with its Child Smile scheme where children clean their teeth properly each day in school. Simple, effective, safe and cheap. Water fluoridation is old technology, as most water is used for washing and industry, so most of that fluoride is public money down the drain.